Snow and Skis Are What I’m Missing This Muggy, Solitary Summer

(Bloomberg) -- At the moment, all of our plans are on hold. But that doesn't mean we here at Bloomberg Pursuits aren't planning the experiences we'll rush out to enjoy when it's safe to do so. We're sharing our ideas with you in the hopes that they will help inspire you—and we'd love to hear what you are daydreaming about, too. Send us your ideas at daydreams@bloomberg.net, and we'll flesh some of them out for this column.

For Hong Kong-based reporter Michael Sin, there's no better way to dream about the end of a steamy summer than by hoping to put. an epic ski trip on the books—one that includes hair-raising adventures and brain-numbing relaxation, in equal doses.

“Powder chasers”—the name given skiers and snowboarders who travel the globe in search of optimal snow—might sound like the ultimate die-hard adventurers, lugging gear up mountains or jumping out of helicopters for the sake of one great run.

Sometimes, though, they're more Goldilocks than daredevil, looking for a rare and wonderful combination of factors that the snow gods rarely bestow. The air needs to be dry and cool so the crystals are not too densely packed. You want a lot of snow, but not to the point of a blizzard. Once you find the sweet spot of temperature, wind speed, and visibility, it's an unrivaled breed of Zen.

Unfortunately, all this is near-impossible to find in my native Australia—or in Hong Kong, where I've been quarantined in a claustrophobically small apartment since January. But wide-open, snow-topped mountains are what I've been dreaming about since well before Covid-19 gripped the world, and they're what continue to fill my thoughts during Hong Kong's sticky, muggy typhoon season.

Specifically, I'm dreaming of the Canadian Rockies. The area around Banff National Park in Alberta is home to three world-class ski resorts well-documented for regular, heavy dumps of fluffy powder: Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine, and Norquay. It's the rare resort area that blends fit-for-all-levels terrain, lightning-fast lifts, and loads of charm within driving distance of it all: imagine ice skating on a pristine lake, with towering Victoria Glacier in the background. 

It's where my high school friends and I—all grads of the Sydney Boys High School who've dispersed around the globe—had planned to go on our annual snow trip in April, before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a block on all foreigners coming into Canada.

These trips aren't just about the place, though. They also allow us to revert to our more mischievous teenage selves, so it's no wonder that “checking out” the 420 Festival in Vancouver would be part of the agenda.

Three months later, Canada remains meticulous about quarantine requirements and tourism closures, despite finding itself on a Covid-19 downswing. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has returned to ghost town status following a resurgence of cases. It means my trip is still relegated to the back burner—though I know exactly how I'll celebrate as soon as we're all out of the coronavirus backwoods.

On the Road and in the Sky

West from Calgary International Airport is the scenic drive along the 630-mile Powder Highway, our easiest path to abundant amounts of backcountry goodness: The route connects eight staggering mountain resorts. Our home base a few days would be Mica Heli Lodge, a panoramic mahogany-framed retreat with 12 suites and a landing pad for heli-skiing outings above the shimmering Columbia River.

For a first-time heli-skier such as me, Mica offers plenty of reassurances. The guides carry the industry's top certifications and take on no more than four passengers at a time. They start you off on such introductory terrain as wide-open Harvey Creek as soon as you've cleared detailed avalanche and safety training. If I can get my ski legs to cooperate, I'll follow up with a run down Molson Creek, where there are just enough trees to provide a challenge and enough space around them to zoom freely.

Down Time

Every year, my friends and I comically overestimate our athletic abilities, shredding grueling black-diamond tree runs (or attempting to shred grueling black-diamond tree runs) until our aging bodies cry out in pain. That usually takes just two or three days, though we ambitiously book a lift pass for a week straight.

We haven't learned much from repeated mistakes. But we have at least developed an appreciation for outdoor spas. It's a tradition we started in the hot spring-filled paradise of Niseko, Japan—the destination for our 2019 snow-chasing trip—where we relaxed in a steamy, naturally heated outdoor bath as snowflakes cascaded down.

To recuperate in Canadian style, we'd book at the Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Banff Springs, a castle-like resort with three waterfall pools. There, we'd banter with strangers (can you imagine?) and sip frosty beers against the backdrop of the snow-capped Mount Norquay and Bow River.

The après ski festivities would continue with live music at the Bison, a five-minute drive to Banff's city center. The name comes from the restaurant's signature dish, bison short ribs, which are said to fall off the bone and are best washed down with a Grumpy Bear honey wheat ale from Grizzly Paw, a brewery 15 miles down the road.

I wouldn't put it past us to half-drunkenly try our hand at something crazy after that: waterfall ice climbing. Don't worry, we'll have sobered up by the time we reach the gentle beginner ice slabs at Johnston Canyon. 

A Few Days in Vancouver

When our bodies can't take any more physical abuse, we'll pursue a different kind of debauchery, in Vancouver. This year would have been the 25th anniversary of 420 Vancouver, a celebration of cannabis on (you guessed it) April 20. It's typically attended by up to 150,000 people, and last year's headliners included hip-hop group (and marijuana advocates) Cypress Hill. Included is a twist on the farmer's market, which features products from more than 300 vendors selling everything from CBD gummies and tinctures to THC coconut butter for use in chocolate chip cookies.

That kind of festival can be followed by only one thing: a munchie-fueled tour of the city's melting pot restaurant scene. We'd start at Tim Horton's for double-double coffee (two cream and two sugars) with Timbits (the chain's signature donut holes), and then consume maple-smoked ham Benedicts at Yolks, the city's powerhouse for caffeinated dining.

Then it's off to eat our memories of Hokkaido at the food cart Japadog, which serves a mean Kurobuta Terimayo pork hotdog with Aonori seaweed shaker fries. If we manage to find the favorite dish we like to obsess about on each trip, Vancouver's may be fish and chips—which we'd find at Pajo's in Fisherman's Wharf. There's just no telling where we'd need to seek it next.

To stop the increasingly rapid effects of climate change, please consider donating to Nature Conservancy of Canada. It's a nonprofit that protects 35 million acres of Canada's environment and wildlife. Safeguarding the landscape will ensure that current and future generations will be able to experience natural wonders such as the Rocky Mountains.

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